


stolen hearts

by grandstander, iavenjqasdf



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Collaboration, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 07:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4129731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandstander/pseuds/grandstander, https://archiveofourown.org/users/iavenjqasdf/pseuds/iavenjqasdf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Roast boar. It’s delicious. Let me bring you a plate.” the cavalier answered, walking over to the large pot with his plate and grabbing another on the way. As soon as he was out of earshot, Gaius released a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. How ridiculous; the charming thief, with his natural suave demeanor and roguish charm, seemingly unraveling before a simple soldier he’d bedded once, one who’d probably miss one of his famed double entendres if it slammed into him head first; how could this be happening to him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	stolen hearts

**Author's Note:**

> this is a collaboration piece done with iavenjqasdf on tumblr!  
> some sex mentions too btw

Stahl had already forgotten about the strange encounter with Brady, his mind wandering back to the meal at hand as he contemplated going back for fifths, when Gaius strolled into the mess hall. The cavalier’s eyes perked up slightly as he swallowed the last chunk of boar, deciding he would pig out a little more (he silently snickered at his own pun). The hall was deserted apart from himself and Tharja in the far corner poring over a thick, tattered looking book-- gods, what could it be? She looked excited, and that unnerved him; Stahl didn’t want to think about it, for the sake of his appetite. Yes, time to eat. Eating was better than watching her-- and thank the gods once again, here came Gaius. “Hey, Gaius. I’m about to go grab another serving, want me to get you something?” he called, waving the thief to the empty seat by him, a smile spreading over his face.

Gaius nodded in agreement as he silently weaved his way over to his… what was Stahl to him, anyway? He knew the cavalier in a way he knew many other bodies, but perhaps it was more intimate than just skin. There was a gentleness to Stahl that struck him as… what word could he even use? He wasn’t sure, it made his heart jump just remembering lying next to him that morning; that wasn’t something one-time lovers ought to do unless they want to get tangled in some kind of web of feelings. He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly walked into the table, completely out of the norm for the nimble man. What gotten into him? He settled into place by Stahl's side, noting the comfort he felt from the man’s warmth beside him. He decided he wouldn't be the first to speak about what had happened. If his lover thought nothing further of it, why should he? 

"So, uh, is that a no?" Stahl asked, pushing his plate aside as he rose from his seat. 

"Huh?" Gaius, once again lost in thought, seemed a bit startled by the question. He quickly found his bearings and turned in the direction of the knight, finding himself simultaneously trying to look away and transfixed by his dark green eyes. "Oh, right, yeah, I could use some grub. What's on the menu?" His mind offered an answer, a naught memory of his "feast" the night before, but he blinked and tried to push it aside. Gods, he really was coming apart.

“Roast boar. It’s delicious. Let me bring you a plate.” the cavalier answered, walking over to the large pot with his plate and grabbing another on the way. As soon as he was out of earshot, Gaius released a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. How ridiculous; the charming thief, with his natural suave demeanor and roguish charm, seemingly unraveling before a simple soldier he’d bedded once, one who’d probably miss one of his famed double entendres if it slammed into him head first; how could this be happening to him? 

He was once again knocked out of his stupor by the sound of metal meeting wood; a truly delicious-looking plate of meat sat before him, and he felt Stahl return to his place beside him, briefly raising his glass without even a toast before chowing down. Gaius grabbed the fork that had been placed by the plate, his stomach rumbling at the sight. It wasn’t candy, but it was good enough. Stahl looked to be more than content with the lunch, judging by the shred of meat stuck to his cheek. Gaius took a bite of his own and smiled. “Hey, ever heard of a napkin?” he joked, a small laugh leaving him as he gestured to the cloth beside Stahl’s plate. The cavalier’s cheeks grew warm with color, laughing along with the other man despite the nervousness crawling into him. 

Gaius took to observing; it was a habit, more or less, as it was a vital skill to closely watch people in his line of work. It sometimes overlapped in his personal affairs. At the moment, he noticed how tousled Stahl’s hair always seemed to be, reminded of the mess it had been after their activities the night before. It almost made him laugh again; it looked cute on him-- what with Stahl’s droopy eyes and all, he looked like a lazy, happy little cat. It was terribly endearing. 

He clamped his eyes shut, ashamed at how he could be so smitten with him already? Really, he looks like a goofy mess, but perhaps that’s part of his charm. Even the way he smelled was endearing in its own odd way. Gaius wasn’t unfamiliar with the scent of lust and sweat of another during sex, but something about it had been especially pleasant with Stahl. He had enjoyed pressing kisses to his abdomen, inhaling his aroma; he felt his heart pound in his chest as he remembered running his hands along the expanse of the cavalier's skin, kissing the his neck and burying his nose into the junction where it met his shoulders. It all flashed in his mind like some kind of hazy fever dream, and he inhaled sharply as his fingers curled against the fabric of his pants to ground himself again. His gaze fell away, a hint of pink blooming on his pale cheeks as he tried to shovel some of his food into his mouth to hide his embarrassment. So much for suave and charming. 

Stahl paused, fork lingering on the path to his lips momentarily. “Uh, are you okay?” he asked, eyes earnest and unassuming. Gaius felt the pink on his skin burn to a full shade of red now as Stahl watched him, chewing his food as normally as he could manage while avoiding his gaze. Oblivious as he normally was, the cavalier knew something was up. Gaius had been unusually quiet throughout the meal, and whenever the knight glanced over to see how his companion was doing, he caught him quickly looking away, finding a sudden burning interest in something in the other direction. Was he dining with Gaius, or a smitten schoolgirl?

That last thought was like a bucket of cold water, Stahl finally realizing what was going on. “Wait a sec… is this about what happened last night?” he questioned, direct as always. It was a trait Gaius couldn’t help but adore (oh Gods, he really was adoring him, wasn’t he?), and he especially appreciated it at a time like this, when his own silver tongue felt like it had melted into his teeth.

“Erm, actually, I’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about that…” the thief mumbled, finding himself unable to even look up from his barely-touched meal. What in Naga’s name had gotten into him? He shifted rather uncomfortably, perplexed by how their roles had been reversed. Stahl was almost serenely calm as always, while there he was, anxiety creeping up his spine, fingers itching with restlessness, fumbling as if he were a fish flopping about on a boat.

“What about it?” the rider (in all senses of the word) responded. If he felt any awkwardness or hesitation, he did an expert job at concealing it as he raised his glass to his lips and took another swig of his drink. He swallowed as he put the beverage down again, but rather than pick up his fork once more, he loosely folded his arms in front of himself and looked expectantly at Gaius, patiently awaiting the thief’s next words.

Great. No going back now.

Gaius tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat, but found his mouth completely dry and no words in his throat. What was WRONG with him?! Where had all his suave manner and confidence ran off to?

“Well, what did you think?” he managed to reply, somewhat satisfied that the sounds had tumbled from his mouth in the correct order. He quickly cleared his throat and stuck another forkful of food into his mouth before he screwed it up. Stahl took another bite before replying.

“I'm a bit sore but I enjoyed it. But you said it was a one-night-only kind of thing so…” the cavalier trailed off, the sentence ending with a rather unauthoritative silence, as if inviting a response.

“I mean... it- it doesn’t have to be…” Gaius said, his voice barely a whisper. Wow. And there it is. Tharja laughed from her faraway table, but it barely registered with the thief, his ears filled with the sound of his blood rushing by them on the way to color his cheeks. He forced himself to look at Stahl, not entirely sure what to expect at that moment, but he needed to see something. And there was a glimmer of something there on his face, and it wasn’t a scrap of food for once. The lightest touch of pink had crept across the cavalier’s skin, and Gaius watched him with such intensity that it felt like his heart was going to burst in his chest. 

Stahl found no answer came; his voice had fallen away from his throat and lie dormant deep within his stomach, underneath the butterflies beginning to flutter there. His eyes fell from the thief’s gaze, trailing over the pattern of the wood table while his index finger ran aimlessly up and down the fork in his hand. Gaius’ nerves slowly withered inside him, tensing up and bundling into tight coils, his fingers curling into fists with them while he waited in agonizing silence. Oh, gods, am I getting CLINGY?! he feared, praying and cursing Naga in the same silent breath for throwing him so head over heels for this man.

“It doesn’t?” is all Stahl seemed to be able to muster, his heart quivering and his voice wavering with it just slightly. It was clearly anxiety, but there was an underlying sort of thrill, as if he’d been touched by sunlight. Perhaps it’s having remembered the feeling of Gaius’ fingers against his skin, the way his voice had sounded when he had laughed the night before, that made him so nervous. A budding excitement grew deep within his belly because he could hear him again-- feel him again. There was something about him that drew one in; he had a demeanor of calm and charm, yet his body moved and his life rumbled with an excitement and recklessness that Stahl was unfamiliar with. He was curious, to put it another way.

Gaius took a breath, and exhaled with a quiet “No,” as he offered such a proposal to the other man, as well as himself. It was a touch frightening, but there was a gentleness and steadiness in Stahl that he had craved for so long, and it was as if he’d finally found something he had forgotten he was searching for. He felt a connection beyond the immediate and physical, and he didn't want to sever those ties that so rarely managed to tie themselves into place.

Another long period of silence fell over the table. Tharja had gathered her materials and left through the back entrance, leaving the pair alone. Perhaps it was that sudden privacy, the knowledge that anything that followed would only leave the tent with them, that emboldened Gaius to do what he did next. With the return of his usual bravado, the stress and fraying nerves melted away, leaving only a beating organ to lead him and his actions-- and so, with a gentleness he didn’t use for himself, the thief pressed a chaste kiss to the other man’s cheek. He wanted to kiss him more, to press his nose against the skin of his cheek and wrap his arms around Stahl’s waist, but he pulled such desires back into himself and waited. The scales had been tipped, and he hoped it was to his favor.

A bright shade of pink that contrasted greatly with the green of his armor washed over Stahl’s skin, his gaze darting up once again to meet Gaius’s. There was hope in his eyes, and want, and Stahl wanted to melt into it. He swallowed, letting out a sigh, and his hand curled into a fist when he finally spoke. “I-- I’d like that.” he said softly, a smile finding its way onto Gaius’s face. The cavalier quickly dropped his gaze again, for there was such relief, such unconstrained joy in that glance that he was afraid it would bring him to tears, the tiny exposure already manifesting itself in the big, goofy grin he couldn't help but display. He was beyond giddy and excited, and he felt as if he was floating just the slightest bit. It was as if he was a young teenager thrilled at meeting his first love-- how ridiculous (but how wonderful, too). 

He finished his food in silence, basking in the warmth of his lover's smile as he wolfed down his own meal. Spurred on by his success and elated at his unfamiliar (but welcome) feelings, Gaius laced his fingers together with Stahl's, who recoiled slightly at the touch, not from revulsion but surprise, before he gave it a gentle squeeze and held on until they left the mess tent. As they stood outside in the fresh air once again, the sun high above and shining as brightly and warmly as his gut felt, Gaius planted another brief kiss, less hesitant this time, to Stahl's cheek, before they parted until the evening.

He wasn't sure what this made them, but Gaius couldn't care less. He was just glad it was.


End file.
